White Lilies Island [886979011120]

Personnel includes: Natalie Imbruglia (vocals); Sally Herbert (arranger); Gavin Wright (conductor); Phil Thornalley (acoustic guitar, keyboards, bass); Dave Munday (guitar, flute, Mellotron); Gary Clark (guitar, keyboards); Paul Statham (guitar, programming); Neil Taylor, Gary Clark (guitar); The Brilliant Strings, London Session Orchestra (strings); Ian Stanley (keyboards); Guy Pratt, Ged Grimes (bass); Maz, Chuck Sabo (drums); Marc Fox (percussion); John Dunne, James Banbury (programming); Tessa Niles (background vocals).Producers include: Ian Stanley, Pascal Gabriel, Gary Clark, Phil Thornalley.Engineers include: Ian Stanley, Phil Thornalley, Fred De Faye.This follow up to 1998's wildly successful LEFT OF THE MIDDLE is full of the pop hooks that propelled that album to the top of the UK and US charts; in addition the intervening few years seem to have left the Natalie Imbruglia with a somewhat more mature pop sensibility. Her voice is still reminiscent of Lisa Loeb or a less-unhinged Fiona Apple, but the Australian singer's previous eager-to-please quality is tempered by the world-weary narrative of tracks such as "Talk in Tongues" ("flowers in the bin/close this hole I'm in") that undercut the sunny textures of songs like the Joni-flavored "Satellite."Generally Imbruglia is at her best when she's least produced; her voice has more than enough commercial appeal without the assistance of tricky arrangements. Though some of WHITE LILIES ISLAND comes perilously close to falling into PJ Harvey-lite territory, the aforementioned brooding "Talking in Tongues," "Butterflies," and the powerful, anthemic, string-accompanied "Come September" point to a growing confidence in the singer that bodes well for the future.